Hub cap



Oct. 10, 1933.

T. E. MCCALISTER HUB CAP Filed Oct. 15, 1932 3mm/m TZ'. tlalz'ser a,Mya/0 Patented oct. 1o, 1933 PATENT OFFICE HUB CAP l'lruman E.McCallister, Anderson, S. C.,

to John Will Robertson, Anderson,

assignor S. C.

Application October 15, 1932. Serial No. 638,008

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a hub cap, and it is an object of theinvention to provide a devicel of this kind with means whereby the samecan be locked or held in applied position in a manner to substantiallyeliminate unauthorized removal of the cap.

As is believed to be well known, it is the practice to hold a sparewheel to a suitably positioned support through the medium of nutsengageable with l0 bolts or threaded shanks extending out from thesupport, access to the nuts for removal to release the spare wheel beingthrough the hub of such wheel. It is another object of the invention toprovide means for closing the hub against passage therethrough of anyinstrument or means to effect the removal of such nuts.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved hub capwhereby certain important advantages are attained and the devicerendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient andadvantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. Inorder that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceedto describe the same with reference to the acompanying drawing,wherein:-

Figure 1 is aview in front elevation illustrating a hub cap constructedin accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the cap as hereindisclosed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1, the cap being in applied position and the associated endportion of the wheel hub being shown in section.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, H denotes the outer endportion of the hub of a wheel such as employed in connection with amotor driven vehicle, said end portion of the hub being provided with aninwardly facing and circumferentially disposed annual groove or channel1 aording an internal shoulder 2.

The hub cap C may be of any preferred design and comprises a head plate3 substantially concavo convex in cross section and which has itsmarginal portion returned, as at 4, to provide a shoulder to butt theouter end of the hub H as illustrated particularly in Figure 3 of thedrawing.

The portion 4 has at its inner margin the outstanding and rearwardlydirected rim 5 which freely enters the outer end of the hub H and whichrim 5 is of a length to extend a material distance beyond the shoulder 2of the hub H when the shoulder 4 of the cap C is in contact with theouter end of the hub H.

Extending radially across the inner or concave faeefof the head plate 3of the capY C is a bridge plate 6, the extremities of which are providedwith 3 the .angular flanges 7 welded or otherwise secured to the rim 5.The bridge plate 6 has its inner face substantially flush with the inner.face of the marginal returned portion 4 of the plate 3.

Interposed between the central portions ofthe plates 3 and 6 is a sleeveor barrel 8 welded or otherwise effectively secured to said plates andin which is securely arranged a casing 9 of a conventional cylindricallock, said lock also including a rotatable part 10 extending beyond theinner end of the casing 9 and which rotates with a conventional keyoperated barrel 11 arranged within the casing 9 and which barrel 11 hasits key end received within a suitably positioned opening 12 provided inthe head plate 3.

Mounted upon the part 10 and keyed or otherwise secured thereto forrotation therewith is a plurality of eccentric disks 14 each of whichbeing snuglyengaged within a rigid eccentric strap 15 carried by theinner end portion of a bolt 16.

As illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, the bolts 16 are three innumber and are substantially equi-distantly spaced with the outer endportion of each of the bolts 16 working through an opening 17 providedin the rim 5. The various eccentric disks 14 have their high points soarranged one with respect to the other whereby upon rotation of the part10 the bolts 16 will be caused to move in unison either into extended orretracted positions. When the bolts 16 are retracted such bolts, or moreparticularly the outer end portions thereof, offer no hindrance orobstruction to the passage of the rim 5 within the outer end portion ofthe hub H when it is desired to apply the cap.

After the cap C has been properly positioned with respect to the hub, Hupon requisite turning of the part 10 the bolts 16 will be extended adistance suicient to cause the outer extremities of said bolts 16 to lapthe shoulder 2 of the hub H whereby the applied cap C is effectuallyheld against removal. As the rotation of the part 10 is under thecontrol of a separate key insertable within the barrel 11, it isbelieved to be readily understood that after the bolts 16 have beenextended to hold the applied cap C and the operating key for the barrel11 has been removed it will be a diicult matter for an unauthorizedperson to take the 'cap C from the hub H. This is of particularimportance and advantage in connection with a spare wheel which has beensecured in a conventional way upon a spare wheel support carried by amotor driven vehicle as is now the general custom. While the cap C is inplace upon the hub H access cannot be had through the hub H tothe nutsor the like foi" holding the spare Wheel to its support.

I claimz- 1. A hub cap comprising a head plate, the rear face of whichis concave, the marginal portion of said head plate being formed forContact with the outer end of the hub to which the cap is applied, a rimcarried by the head plate to extend within the end portion of the hubwith which the cap is engaged a bridge plate extending across theconcave face of the head plate and secured to the rim, a sleevesupported by the head plate and the bridge plate, a barrel within thesleeve rhaving a part for rotary movement, eccentric disks carried bysaid part for rotation in unison therewith, bolts slidably workingthrough the rim, an eccentic strap carried by each of said bolts forcoaction with an eccentric disk, the high point of each .of the diskswith respect to the others being such to cause all of the bolts to beextended or retracted in unison upon rotation of said rotatable part,the bolts when extended beingi adapted to engage an internal shoulder ofthe wheel hub to hold the applied cap against removai.

2. A hub cap' comprising a head plate having its marginal portionreturned, said returned portion having its inner margin-defined by: airim to extend within the hub of the Wheel, a key operated rotating partcarried by the head plate at the same side thereof as the rim, aplurality of eccentric disks mounted upon said rotating part forrotation in unison upon rotation of said rotatable part, bolts slidablydisposed through the rim oi' the head plate for locking engagement withthe portion of the hub into which said rim is tted, the inner portionsofthe bolts having straps, a strap of each bolt surrounding a disk onthe rotatable part, the high .point of each of the disks with respect tothe others being such to Acause all of the bolts to be extended o'rretracted in unison upon rotation of said rotatable part.

TRUMAN E. MCCALISTER.

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